The invention relates to a low-voltage limiting electrical power circuit breaker.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,098 describes a limiting circuit breaker whose poles comprise a stationary contact and a movable contact situated at the inlet of an arc extinguishing chamber. The contacts are laterally bounded by the branches of a U-shaped magnetic circuit designed to produce a magnetic field tending to drive the movable contact in which a current is flowing to a separated position. An insulating shield is placed between the U-shaped magnetic circuit and the contacts, the side walls of the insulating shield forming a passage between the contact area and the inlet opening of the chamber.
For this type of apparatus, difficulties arise when short-circuit current breaking tests are performed with a relatively high voltage, for example at 100 kA with a voltage of about 600 Volts. This is due to the fact that, for high-rating limiting apparatuses of this type, it is difficult to obtain a high arc voltage, of about 600 to 700 Volts peak, in a small volume. The number of contact fingers and the width of the fingers are in fact conditioned by the rating of the apparatus, i.e. by the nominal value of the current intensity which is accepted by the apparatus. It then follows that when the rating of the apparatus is high, the side walls of the pole are at a fairly large distance from one another and do not enable an optimal heat exchange to be achieved with the electric arc. This deficit is then compensated by increasing the arc length, and therefore the distance between the stationary and movable contacts in the separated position, and by increasing the dimensions of the arc extinguishing chamber. The dimensions of the apparatus are therefore increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,993 describes a switch designed to interrupt the power supply of an inductance of a circuit breaker control circuit, this inductance having a direct current of about 200 A flowing through it. The switch comprises a stationary contact, a movable contact, an expansion chamber containing an inlet orifice and no outlet orifice, and a discharge stack situated between the contacts and the chamber inlet. The contacts are located in a passage whose width decreases from the contact area to the chamber inlet opening. The walls of this passage are made of an insulating material formed by phosphoreted asbestos in a 90% zircon substrate. The side walls of the passage are laterally bounded by two metal plates which form part of a U-shaped magnetic circuit excited by a winding so as to produce a magnetic field tending to displace the arc to the expansion chamber. When opening of the contacts takes place, the electric arc is propelled at high speed in the direction of the expansion chamber due to the magnetic field. When passing through the narrow part of the passage, the arc is subjected to constriction and cooling, due to the interaction with the walls of the passage. The ionized hot gases produced are outlet via the discharge stack and do not hinder the progression of the arc to the expansion chamber, so that the flames are confined in this chamber and are not discharged to the atmosphere. Expansion in the expansion chamber contributes to cooling the arc and to causing extinguishing thereof. Once the arc has been extinguished, the residual gases accumulated in the expansion chamber are outlet via the discharge stack. The object here is to increase the arc voltage until it exceeds the voltage at the terminals of the inductance in the course of discharge. The breaking performances of the apparatus are very low and dictated by the application, as the arcing current intensity never exceeds the initial value of 200 A, and the maximum dissipated energy corresponds to the energy stored in the inductance. Furthermore, the architecture of the apparatus is not transposable to a low-voltage limiting power circuit breaker, notably due to the hot exhaust gases discharged via the stack. Consequently, the teachings of this document do not appear to be transposable to low-voltage limiting power circuit breakers of the previously described type.
A power switch is described in the Patent DE 728,612. This switch comprises a stationary contact and a movable contact arranged in an arc extinguishing chamber formed by a volume containing the contacts, extended by a narrow slit which opens out, opposite the volume containing the contacts, on an open external space. The arc extinguishing chamber is bounded laterally by ceramic walls which are a relatively distant from one another at the level of the volume containing the contacts, move progressively towards one another to form a restriction at the entrance to the slit and are extended parallel to one another all along the slit. Two arcing horns extend from the volume containing the contacts to the opposite end of the slit, moving away from one another. Lateral blowing plates surround the ceramic side walls and constitute a magnetic arc blowout circuit. On opening of the contacts, the electric arc is blown magnetically into the slit. The divergent arrangement of the arcing horns is essential to compensate, or even over-compensate, the reduction of the cross-section for passage of the breaking gases to the outside. Movement of the arc inside the chamber is thus not hampered by a pressure increase. As it progresses into the slit, the arc finds new ceramic surfaces enabling a large heat exchange to take place. High-speed movement of the arc until the latter is extinguished avoids a too great local exposition in the chamber. The dimensions of this apparatus are very large. The length of the slit from the contacts to the opening onto the outside space must in fact be sufficiently great to enable the arc to be extinguished before it reaches the extremity of the chamber. In like manner, the distance between the arcing horns near to the opening to the outside is also very large, since it results from the continuous divergence between the arcing horns necessary to counteract the pressure increase due to the narrowing of the cross-section of the slit. In practice these constraints moreover impose an opening angle of about 120xc2x0 between the arcing horns. Consequently, this technology would appear to be incompatible with the pursuit at the same time to achieve compactness and high breaking performances.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,197 describes a switch comprising a stationary contact means comprising a stationary main contact, a stationary secondary contact and a stationary arcing contact, operating in conjunction with a movable contact means bearing, on a single pivoting arm, a movable main contact, a movable secondary contact and a movable arcing contact. An arc extinguishing chamber equipped with separators is situated between the lateral branches of a U-shaped magnetic circuit. The contacts are situated in a passage which narrows progressively towards the chamber inlet. The magnetic circuit is supplied by a coil, serially connected between the stationary main contact and a lower arcing horn. Opening takes place in several stages: in a first step, the main contacts, situated at a relatively large distance from the arc extinguishing chamber, separate forcing the current to flow in the secondary contacts located closer to the chamber. In a second step, the secondary contacts also separate forcing the current to flow in the arcing contacts situated close to the chamber. A primary electric arc then arises between the arcing contacts when the latter separate. The arc lengthens and reaches the lower arcing horn dividing into two secondary arcs in series: a first secondary arc between the stationary contact and the lower arcing horn and a second secondary arc between the lower arcing horn and the movable arcing contact. As soon as the first secondary arc is drawn between the stationary arcing contact and the lower arcing horn, the magnetic circuit excitation coil is supplied. The impedance of the coil winding being lower than that of the first secondary arc, this arc is extinguished so that the whole of the current flows through the coil generating a magnetic flux between the lateral branches of the magnetic U. The magnetic field drives the second secondary arc to the chamber. In the chamber the arc encounters separators which cool the arc until it is extinguished. The progressive migration process of the arc to the chamber in this device is excessively long and incompatible with the performances expected from a limiting circuit breaker. The mechanism is also very complicated due to the presence of a multiplicity of contacts.
The object of the invention is to increase the arc voltage of a high-rating limiting circuit breaker, in a small volume, by a simple device.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of a pole for a low-voltage limiting electrical power circuit breaker comprising an opening mechanism, the pole comprising:
a frame;
a first contact means comprising a contact area;
a second contact means comprising:
a movable support designed to be linked to the opening mechanism and movable with respect to the frame between a closed position and an open position,
at least one contact finger movable parallel to a longitudinal mid-plane of the pole and able to take, with respect to the movable support in the closed position, a contact position in which the contact finger is in contact with the contact area of the first contact means, and a separated position in which the contact finger is separated from the first contact means, and
a flexible return means designed to return the movable contact finger to its contact position, when the movable contact finger is close to its contact position;
an arc extinguishing chamber, comprising an outlet opening constituting the exhaust channel for outlet of all the gases emitted when breaking is performed, an inlet opening situated between the contact area and the outlet opening, arc energy absorption means situated inside the arc extinguishing chamber, and side walls laterally confining the arc extinguishing chamber, the distance measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal mid-plane between the side walls defining a width of the chamber;
a magnetic circuit, designed to be excited by a current flowing through the contact means, the magnetic circuit comprising two lateral branches which extend parallel to the longitudinal mid-plane on each side of the latter and which bound the contact area, the magnetic circuit being designed to produce a magnetic field tending to drive the contact finger through which a current is flowing to the separated position,
an insulating shield comprising two insulating side walls interposed between the lateral branches and the contact means, the insulating side walls of the insulating shield forming a passage between the contact area and the inlet opening of the chamber,
wherein:
the insulating side walls of the insulating shield are at a distance from one another which is smaller near the inlet opening of the arc extinguishing chamber than near the contact area, and which is smaller near the inlet opening of the arc extinguishing chamber than the width of the arc extinguishing chamber, so that the passage forms a constriction between the contact area and the movable contact means on the one hand and the arc extinguishing chamber on the other hand, this constriction being at least partially bounded laterally by the lateral branches of the magnetic circuit,
the pole comprises in addition a first receiving surface of a root of an electric arc, situated between the contact area and the constriction and electrically connected to the first contact means.
The insulating side walls of the shield constitute a protection of the magnetic circuit against the electric arc. They moreover form a large heat exchange surface contributing to cooling of the arc. Constriction of the passage close to the chamber increases this heat exchange even further and enhances constriction of the arc. The two phenomena combined contribute to increasing the arc voltage and to high current limiting.
The magnetic circuit for its part performs a twofold function: on the one hand, a current limiting function performed in conjunction with the flexible return means, in so far as the magnetic field generates forces on the charges in movement in the movable contact through which a current is flowing, these forces tending to cause the contacts to separate independently of any opening order, above a threshold defined by the flexible return means; and on the other hand, a function of driving the arc to the arc extinguishing chamber through the obstacle formed by the constriction. This second function is partially performed by the part of the magnetic circuit near the contact area, but also more specifically by the part of the circuit bounding the constriction area. The larger this part situated laterally on each side of the constriction is, the more marked the effect achieved will be. By means of this device, a part of an electric arc of large cross-section such as is encountered when a high current is broken by a limiting circuit breaker is able to be made to enter the arc extinguishing chamber quickly, while at the same causing constriction of the arc and achieving a heat exchange with the insulating side walls when passing the constriction. The action of the magnetic circuit is extended until the arc is extinguished, so that a part of the arc remains in the chamber throughout the breaking operation, whereas the arc root remains at least partially on the first receiving surface. The arc therefore extends continuously on each side of the constriction keeping the arc voltage at a high level until the arc is extinguished. Contrary to the general teaching of the state of the technique which would incite the arc to be propelled as quickly as possible into the arc extinguishing chamber, the object of the present invention is to impose an intermediate position on the arc through a constriction until extinguishing of the arc is achieved.
With such a device, the distance between the stationary contact and the movable contact fingers in the separated position can be reduced, for a given performance level.
Preferably, the pole comprises a lower arcing horn electrically connected to the first contact means and comprising said first receiving surface of an electric arc root and an extension extending inside the arc extinguishing chamber, said extension constituting a second receiving surface for receiving an electric arc root the width whereof, measured along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the pole, is smaller than that of the first receiving surface. The second receiving surface accommodates a part of the arc root for short-circuit currents of very high intensity. In addition, it enables the heat generated on the first receiving surface to be removed. Furthermore, the second receiving surface enables small currents to be broken, fostering in this case complete entry of the arc root into the arc extinguishing chamber. The width of the second receiving surface must however be smaller than the diameter of an arc root in short-circuit conditions, as in this case the arc has to be prevented from entering the chamber completely. In practice, the larger width of the second receiving surface has to be smaller than or equal to the distance between the walls of the insulating shield at the level of the constriction.
According to one embodiment, the pole comprises in addition an upper arcing horn having a free end situated near the movable contact means in the separated position and extending towards the inside of the chamber. The head of the electric arc migrates onto the upper arcing horn, with formation of a secondary arc in series with the first arc, between the upper arcing horn and the movable contact means. The head of the main arc migrates quickly to the inside of the chamber following the upper arcing horn, which enables the chamber to be made to play its energy absorption role.
Advantageously, the lateral branches of the magnetic circuit have an air-gap which is smaller at the level of the constriction than at the level of the contact area. Whereas the width of the air-gap of the magnetic circuit in its front part, where it bounds the contact fingers, is dictated by the width of the contact fingers and therefore by the circuit breaker rating, it is possible to take advantage of the front constriction of the inlet passage to the chamber to reduce the air-gap in the nearest part of the chamber, which enables the field to be increased in this region where arc displacement is hampered by the constriction.
According to one embodiment, the magnetic circuit forms a magnetic U, the base of the U being situated below the contact area of the stationary contact means. The U shape constitutes a good compromise between the quantity of metal necessary to constitute the magnetic circuit and the concentration of the field obtained. Other configurations can however be envisaged. The magnetic circuit can in particular form an O shape in cross-section, which enables an even greater concentration of the field to be achieved.
Preferably, the insulating shield comprises a gas-generating material resistant to the arc. Vaporization of the coating is a highly endothermal phenomenon which contributes to cooling of the arc. The pressure gradient generated by vaporization at the level of the constriction, which could prove to be an obstacle to displacement of the arc to the extinguishing chamber, is in fact compensated by suitable dimensioning of the magnetic circuit, in particular in its front part. Moreover, it is necessary for the material chosen to have a sufficient resistance to the arc to perform its function of lateral protection of the magnetic circuit. According to one embodiment, the insulating shield comprises a polyamide charged with glass fibers. In practice, the glass fiber charge should not exceed 30% to prevent the glass fibers from coming flush with the surface of the material after a few breaking operations. Alternatively or cumulatively, the insulating shield comprises a polyamide charged with mineral charges in proportions which may reach or exceed 30%. Alternatively it is possible to envisage using ceramics, but these materials have the drawback of fostering metal deposits originating from the contacts, which rapidly reduce their performances.
Preferably, the arc energy absorption means situated inside the arc extinguishing chamber comprise separators extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal mid-plane.
According to another feature of the invention, the latter also relates to a low-voltage limiting electrical power circuit breaker comprising an opening mechanism and at least one pole as previously described, whose movable support is linked to the opening mechanism.